Seattle Mariners Wiki

You can’t mention Northwest sports without discussing the Seattle Mariners, who are as beloved as any franchise in the region. They may not have a World Series title, but they’ve treated us to some great memories – and some of the greatest baseball players of all time – over the years.

Seattle Mariners Thru the Years

Since they arrived in Major League Baseball at the same time in 1977, the Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are often compared to each other. At first glance, some may view the M’s as a disappointment, as the Jays have two World Series titles. But a closer look reveals that the Mariners have been one of baseball’s most successful franchises since their inception.

It all changed when Seattle drafted a kid named Ken Griffey Jr. first overall in 1987. Junior went on to become perhaps the greatest hitter of his era, making 13 All-Star teams, winning four home-run crowns and capturing the American League MVP award in 1997.

It’s hard to believe it but, in its 34-year history, Seattle has arguably produced at least four of the greatest ever to play the game of baseball. It goes beyond Griffey. Few pitchers have ever dominated the competition like future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson, who established himself in Seattle.

Alex Rodriguez continues to build an epic statistical resume and began his career with the Mariners. And then, of course, there’s Ichiro Suzuki, owner of baseball’s single-season hits record. On the next level of the pantheon are greats like Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner.

The Mariners contended for the World Series crown numerous times in the 1990s and 2000s. Among their most memorable moments: Griffey sliding into home to win the 1995 American League Division Series in the 11th inning against the New York Yankees and Seattle tying a major-league record with 116 wins in the 2001 season.

As of 2011 the Mariners have fallen on hard times.

But you can be they’ll return to glory as long as young guns Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda, Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley are around.